Alliance for Youth Program Benefits Cache Valley Students

From choir clubs to robotics clubs to tutoring, after-school programs make a difference in the lives of students in Cache Valley. These programs allow students to enhance their education by getting involved with activities that interest them, which helps them focus on their college and career goals.

Almost 25 years ago, educators and community members recognized the need for quality after-school programs for Cache Valley students. The Alliance for Youth program was established to fill that need by pooling local expertise and resources.

Todd Milovich, an Education Outreach coordinator at USU, has contributed substantially to the success of these programs. Because of his efforts, every school in Cache County School District has USU students volunteering in their after-school programs. “The Alliance for Youth program allows the community organizations that are involved to work together to provide the best possible programs for our kids,” Todd said. “It benefits everyone to have these working relationships.”

Cache County School District after-school programs are known as REACH (Recreation, Education, Arts, Character and Health). REACH programs emphasize academics with additional classes that provide enrichment opportunities. These after-school offerings are intended to give students a safe place to go after school to extend their learning.

Jeanne Nielsen, Cache County School District’s REACH coordinator, is a strong advocate. She said, “REACH after-school programs are high-quality programs facilitated by teachers and school employees, so homework support and tutoring is an extension of what students are learning during the day.” Jeanne continued, “Our site coordinators are teachers who care about the success of students and work extra hours to ensure that students get the help they need.”

Governor Gary Herbert recently shared a personalized video recognizing the after-school programs in Cache Valley. He talked about how vital these programs are to the lives of many students. Here are his top nine reasons to celebrate after-school programs in Cache Valley:

After-school programs provide a safe place for students to be while their parents may be working.

Students can receive one-on-one tutoring in schoolwork that they might be struggling with.

Parents can have confidence that their children are having extra learning opportunities they can’t get in the regular school day.